The average employee spends at least 40 hours a week in his or her workplace so it’s important to create a calm, pleasant space. Studies have shown that employees who have a workspace they are allowed to personalize, they experience less stress, are better able to concentrate and are more highly motivated. The additional benefits to a personal workspace include privacy and fewer interruptions and distractions.
If your company realizes this and has provided a personal space for each person, you may find that your workspace is a haven during the day. It’s the place that you can escape interactions with managers and colleagues, interruptions, distractions and concentrate on your work. You spend a lot of time in your workspace so it’s natural to want to add some personal touches to the area.
Before you think about decorating your workspace, think about your interactions in this area. Do you meet with customers here? What about people throughout your company to whom you provide services? If you have these kinds of interfaces in your offices, you’ll need to approach your decorations differently than if you don’t have these types of meetings. Your emphasis will have to be on making your workspace as professional as possible.
One way to make your office more inviting is to use a small lamp that gives off calming, natural light. Other options include sculptures, inspiration quotes and framed pictures of friends and family. You may also want to include travel pictures from interesting vacations. These pictures are great conversation pieces.
What sorts of things should you use to personalize your office? Think about items that reflect your personality. Do you like a particular kind of animal or collect a certain type of art? These can be great ways to add some flair to your office. If your company allows it, plants can brighten up your office. Consider ways to make your space more inviting to others with items like candy dishes (if they won’t tempt you too much.)
Organization is important office space. It saves you time and energy and produces a more professional image. You can organize your materials in a way that emphasizes your personality. There are a variety of attractive file stands that can hold frequently used materials on your desk. You can also find creative pen and pencil holders such as mugs, cups, pottery and other unique items. Make lists on fun paper and find a unique mouse pad to brighten up your desk. Often, you can incorporate pictures into these items to give them a personal touch.
Moderation is important when it comes to decoration. If you like particular themes, such as cats or dogs, don’t overdo it. You don’t want visitors to think that you’re obsessed with a hobby. Think about your company’s image. What type of guidelines does your company have? What type of job do you have and what kind of image do you typically project at work? There are different standards for different types of professions. An attorney or an accountant is expected to project a very different image than a graphic designer or other creative professional. Always keep your company’s professional standards in mind when decorating your workspace.
Although it can be fun to reflect your personality to your workplace, keep in mind that you need to maintain a professional atmosphere. Think about the people who will see your work area. Don’t add anything inappropriate that could embarrass you or the viewer. Keep your workspace free of religious or political statements. These can offend others and affect their opinion of you. It’s always a good idea to keep political and religious issues out the workplace because they are so sensitive. Watch out for anything else that could be offensive such as off-color jokes, cartoons or anything else that could be controversial.
There are a few key points you should always keep in mind when decorating your personal space. First, your desk and surrounding area should never look cluttered. If you have too many items on your desk or walls, it will give visitors the impression that you are disorganized. As mentioned earlier, your workspace should project a professional image so it’s important that it is not distracting or disorganized.
